Anti-clogging device



United States Patent 3,351,247 ANTI-CLOGGING DEVICE John Frangos,Brooklyn, N.Y., assignor to Revlon, Inc., New York, N.Y., a corporationof Delaware Filed June 15, 1966, Ser. No. 557,800 6 Claims. (Cl.ZZZ-402.12)

ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A valve, including an actuator and a sleeveenclosing the actuator, for dispensing pressurized fluid from acontainer. When the valve is not dispensing, the terminal orifice of theactuator is stored in the sleeve between sealing rings which surroundthe actuator on either side of the orifice. When dispensing, theactuator terminal orifice moves into registry with a correspondingorifice in the sleeve.

This invention relates to an anti-clogging valve for the dispensing offluid materials from pressure container under the influence of apropellant in the container.

A widely used container is known as the aerosol type which comprises,generally speaking, a container body for the vaporizable liquidpropellant and the material to be dispensed and a valve mechanism whichcontrols the emission of such material and propellant from the chamberof the body portion.

A wide variety of materials are sprayed from containers of the aerosoltype and a wide variety of vaporizable liquid propellants are also used.The choice of the propellant is to some extent dictated by itscompatibility with the material to be sprayed, the toxicity and thecorrosive effect on metals with which it comes in contact, etc.

In a typical commercial aerosol container the chamber of the bodyportion which contains the material to be sprayed and its propellant isprovided with an axially channeled valve stem which is open at itsoutlet end and is provided with an orifice adjacent its opposite orinner end to establish communication between said open end and thechamber of the container. The open end of the valve stem carries anactuator which has a bore communicating with said channel and arelatively fine terminal orifice through which the material is sprayed.

A disadvantage that has been encountered in the industry in the use ofthis type of actuator arises out of the clogging of the actuatorterminal orifice. This clogging occurs as a result of the evaporation ofthe residual solution in and adjacent to the terminal orifice of theactuator which leaves a deposit of salts or other dried residual solids.

This disadvantage is overcome in the present invention by providing asleeve or housing for the actuator. When the valve is not dispensingfluid, the terminal orifice of the actuator is sealed within the sleeveby sealing ring means to prevent exposure of the orifice to theatmosphere, thus discouraging evaporation of residual dispensed 'fiuidwhich might form clogging solids.

I have illustrated an embodiment of my invention in the drawings, inwhich FIGURE 1 is a vertical sectional view of the valve assembly withthe terminal orifice in the actuator shown in its closed position;

FIGURE 2 is a similar sectional view with said orifices shown in itsopen position; and

FIGURE 3 is a horizontal sectional view on the plane of line 33 ofFIGURE 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

The embodiment of my invention shown in the drawings may be used withvarious forms of valve mechanism, one of which is shown in the drawings.

16. The stem carries an inlet orifice 24 3,351,247 Patented Nov. 7, 1967The anti-clogging actuator of my invention comprises a rigid sleeve 10which may be attached to the valve ferrule of an aerosol container by aflange or collar 12.

An actuator 14 is mounted, slidably, within the sleeve to move the valvestem 16 into its open position, as shown n FIGURE 2, when manualdepressing force is applied to the actuator against the force exerted bythe spring 18. The actuator permits the closing of the valve assemblyunder the action of the referred to spring 18, which moves the parts ofthe valve assembly from the open position shown in FIGURE 2, into theclosed position shown in FIGURE 1.

This actuator which is mounted on the upper open end of the stem 16 isprovided with a terminal orifice 20 which communicates with the channel22 in the stem of the usual type. The orifice 20 has an enlargedejection cavity 26.

To permit the ejection of the contents of the container, the sleeve 10is provided with an outlet opening 28, with which the orifice 20 isadapted to be brought into register.

The body portion of the actuator is provided with sealin-g rings 30which are sufliciently flexible to move in sealing contact with theinside wall of the sleeve 10. These sealing rings are arranged onopposite sides of the orifice 20 and are spaced apart sufiiciently tolie on opposite sides of the outlet opening 28 when the valve is closed.It will be realized that the upper ring 30 may be formed on the innerWall of the sleeve 10 in such position that it will engage the actuator14 and thus seal the span between the sleeve and actuator in the variouspositions of the latter.

These sealing rings may be made integral with the body portion of theactuator or separate from it. The rings may be made of a resilientplastic as may also be the actuator body portion.

The actuator may be prevented from having rotative movement in thesleeve 10 by a small flange 32 carried by the actuator body andoperating within a slot 34 in the inner wall of the sleeve 10 and theupward movement of the actuator may be limited by an abutment at theupper end of the slot with which which the flange 32 contacts.

When the valve head is depressed, by manual action, into the positionshown in FIGURE 2, the opening 28 will be completely free or open topermit the spraying of the contents of the container into the atmosphereunder full pressure and in full quantity.

When the parts are in the positions illustrated in FIG- URE 1, theterminal orifice 20 in the actuator will be in the position illustratedin this figure. At this time the terminal orifice and the opening 26will be closed by the wall of the sleeve and sealed by the rings 30.

When the valve stem is depressed to permit the flow of fluid from thecontainer through the central channel of the valve stem, communicationwill be established between the valve stem channel and the atmospherethrough the terminal orifice 20 by way of the opening 28 in the sleeve10.

However, when the actuator button is released the parts will return tothe position shown in FIGURE 1, thus providing an air tight chamber inwhich the terminal orifice 20 is located. By this means the evaporationof the material in the actuator and valve stem will be minimized withthe result that the depositing of solids in the terminal orifice willsubstantially be prevented.

This invention is particularly useful as a dispenser for fiuid productsfrom which solid residues result when the fluids evaporate. In the usualvalve mechanism the residue will deposit in the terminal orifice andthus clog the terminal orifice and render the actuation inoperable. Thisdisadvantage is overcome by my invention.

I claim:

1. In a valve mechanism for controlling the dispensing of pressurizedfiuid from a container for such fluid which includes an outlet valvestem having a longitudinal channel therein open at one end and anorifice adjacent its opposite end to selectively establish or destroycommunication between said container and said channel, the improvementwhich comprises a sleeve adapted to be supported on said container andhaving an outlet opening, an actuator slidably mounted in said sleeveand having a terminal orifice in constant communication with saidchannel, sealing ring means within said sleeve and surrounding saidactuator on opposite sides of the terminal orifice thereof for sealingsaid orifice closed from the atmosphere when said channel in said valvestem is out of communication with said container, said terminal orificein said actuator being adapted to align with said opening in said sleeveto establish communication between said channel in said valve stem andthe atmosphere when said channel is in communication with saidcontainer.

2. The combination of elements recited in claim 1 including resilientmeans normally urging said valve stem out of communication with saidcontainer, whereby said 4 1 terminal orifice is located within an airtight space within said sleeve to minimize evaporation within saidspace.

3. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said sealing ring meanscomprises sealing rings on said actuator on opposite sides of saidterminal orifice and in slidable contact with the inner wall of saidsleeve.

4. The combination recited in claim 2 wherein said sealing ring meanscomprises sealing rings on said actuator on opposite sides of saidterminal orifice and in slidable contact with the inner wall of saidsleeve.

5. The combination recited in claim 3 wherein said sealing rings areformed of flexible plastic material.

6. The combination recited in claim 1 wherein said sealing ring meansare formed of flexible plastic material.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1964 Tuttle 25l353 X 6/ 1966Wake-mam 222402.12

1. IN A VALVE MECHANISM FOR CONTROLLING THE DISPENSING OF PRESSURIZEDFLUID FROM A CONTAINER FOR SUCH FLUID WHICH INCLUDES AN OUTLET VALVESTEM HAVING A LONGITUDINAL CHANNEL THEREIN OPEN AT ONE END AND ANORIFICE ADJACENT ITS OPPOSITE END TO SELECTIVELY ESTABLISH OR DESTROYCOMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID CONTAINER AND SAID CHANNEL, THE IMPROVEMENTWHICH COMPRISES A SLEEVE ADAPTED TO BE SUPPORTED ON SAID CONTAINER ANDHAVING AN OUTLET OPENING, AN ACTUATOR SLIDABLY MOUNTED IN SAID SLEEVEAND HAVING A TERMINAL ORIFICE IN CONSTANT COMMUNICATION WITH SAIDCHANNEL, SEALING RING MEANS WITHIN SAID SLEEVE AND SURROUNDING SAIDACTUATOR ON OPPOSITE SIDES OF THE TERMINAL ORIFICE THEREOF FOR SEALINGSAID ORIFICE CLOSED FROM THE ATMOSPHERE WHEN SAID CHANNEL IN SAID VALVESTEM IS OUT OF COMMUNICATION WITH SAID CONTAINER, SAID TERMINAL ORIFICEIN SAID ACTUATOR BEING ADAPTED TO ALIGN WITH SAID OPENING IN SAID SLEEVETO ESTABLISH COMMUNICATION BETWEEN SAID CHANNEL IN SAID VALVE STEM ANDTHE ATMOSPHERE WHEN SAID CHANNEL IS IN COMMUNICATION WITH SAIDCONTAINER.